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Fayston Conservation Commission asks Selectboard to shift reserve funds to operations, seeks 2026 funding
Summary
The Fayston Conservation Commission asked the Selectboard to move money from the Town Forest Reserve into the 2026 operational budget and requested new operating funds for initiatives including invasives control and community engagement; packet lines list items such as a $5,000 Mad River Valley Invasives Initiative and a $1,000 AVCC membership.
Andrea Henderson of the Fayston Conservation Committee read the FCC's proposed 2026 budget request and asked the Selectboard to move some Town Forest Reserve funds into the operational budget. The packet lists operating items including a $1,000 AVCC membership, $5,000 for the Mad River Valley Invasives Initiative, $250 for community recreation visioning and $500 for a Mad River Valley Bear Initiative.
The FCC told the board it plans to use reserve funds in 2026 for several projects and asked for new annual operating funding. Materials presented at the meeting show two different total request figures: one line in the packet states the FCC is asking the Selectboard to fund $11,150 in the annual 2026 budget, while a separate printed line reads "BUDGET REQUEST TO FAYSTON SELECTBOARD FOR 2026 $10,850." The committee characterized some reserve-funded items as "aspirational," and Andrea indicated the organization would prioritize based on available funds.
Selectboard members did not take a formal vote on FCC funding during the session; discussion and the Selectboard's agreement to move the FCC's request into the town's operational budget were recorded. The Selectboard agreed to fold portions of the request into the town's operating budget as year-end bookkeeping and planning continue, and staff will reconcile the numerical discrepancy with FCC reps.
